Written Answers Wednesday 31 August 2005

Scottish Executive

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report on the outcome of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held in Luxembourg on 20 to 21 June 2005.

Ross Finnie: I attended the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on 20 and 21 June 2005 together with Margaret Beckett, Lord Bach and Carwyn Jones.

  On agriculture, the Council reached agreement on a new EU Rural Development Regulation for 2007-2013. The UK welcomed the simpler, more flexible approach promoted in the Regulation and secured a joint Commission and Council Declaration that additional voluntary modulation (the transfer of funds from direct subsidy payments to rural development) will be examined as part of the discussions on the Financial Perspectives for 2007-2013. The article relating to the budget for the Rural Development Regulation made clear that funding levels will be decided in the context of discussions on the Financial Perspectives.

  The Council took note of a progress report on negotiations to update EU rules on avian influenza.

  Over lunch, Commissioner Fischer Boel updated ministers on progress in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agriculture negotiations. Member states took note and asked to be kept fully informed of the negotiations as they develop. The UK undertook, as incoming President of the Council, to work closely with member states and the Commission to secure the best possible outcome on this important dossier.

  Under Any Other Business, the Council was informed of the outcome of last month’s World Animal Health Organisation (Office International des Epizooties) conference and took note of progress on the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade dossier and, at the request of the Netherlands, on member state collaboration on agricultural research. A number of member states intervened to highlight the problems posed by over-supply of the EU cereals market. Germany presented a paper calling for more action to promote fair trade products.

  On fisheries, the Council failed to reach agreement on the European Fisheries Fund. The main disagreement was over the use of the fund to help subsidise the building of new boats. The UK supported the Commission's position that fishing capacity was already out of line with fish stocks and that new builds should not be subsidised. Discussion on how this portfolio can be taken forward will be held during the UK Presidency.

  It was agreed that further technical discussions should be held on management measures for the Mediterranean Sea, with a view to reaching agreement during the UK Presidency.

  Under any other business, the Commission raised Norway's unilateral decision to close its blue whiting fisheries, following scientific evidence that the Spawning Stock Biomass (SSB) of the stock has dropped by 25% compared to 2004. The Commission took the opportunity to note the member states' positions on this matter with a view to the negotiations to be held on 27 June 2005.

  Finally, the Council took note of the request by the Belgian delegation (10118/05), supported by other member states, concerning the problems caused by increases in fuel prices and their consequences for the fishing industry.

  The Commission took note of member states’ views. A working party chaired by the Commission and bringing together fishing-industry professionals had concluded its proceedings and the Commission would consider what practical measures could be envisaged.

  At the end of the meeting, Commissioner Fischer Boel and the UK praised the outgoing President of the Council for the significant successes achieved under the Luxembourg Presidency.

Ambulance Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all 29 action points contained in the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) Employment Medical Advisory Service’s Report on the Management of Occupation Stress in the Scottish Ambulance Service Board have now been fully implemented and, if not, what action remains to be taken in order to comply with HSE requirements.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether all 32 action points contained in the Health and Safety Executive’s Report on the Management of Health and Safety in the Scottish Ambulance Service Board have now been fully implemented.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Health and Safety Executive’s reports on the Management of Occupational Stress in the Scottish Ambulance Service Board and the Management of Health and Safety in the Scottish Ambulance Board were received at the same time and relate to the same audit. The Scottish Ambulance Service is on course to implement all of the action points covered in the reports within the prescribed timescales.

Art

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much, in total, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art has spent on purchasing new acquisitions in each of the last three years; what proportion of these sums has been spent on works purchased, or originating from, artists resident in Scotland, and what criteria are used in deciding on such purchases, particularly with regard to the representation of the work of modern artists resident in Scotland.

Patricia Ferguson: I have asked Richard Calvocoressi, Director of the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, to provide the detailed information requested. His response is as follows:

  We see it as one of our prime duties to acquire works of modern and contemporary Scottish art. Our criteria are based on quality (i.e. the works we deem are of museum standard) and a desire to represent the broad patterns of styles, as and when they develop.

  A number of monetary bequests and gifts left to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art are solely meant for the acquisition of Scottish art, so a large proportion of our spend on Scottish art comes from these sources, and not from the annual grant-in-aid.

  You will note that our total spend on Scottish art is something in the region of 14%. There are two matters to bear in mind when considering this statistic: Scottish art is not expensive in global terms, and so we can represent the best of Scottish art without making great expenditure; many of our Scottish acquisitions are in the form of gifts, not purchases.

  The details requested are tabulated in the following:

  

 
2002
2003
2004
2005
(to end July)
Total


Total spent on purchases (£)
864,894
73,200
132,827
357,000
1,427,921


of which Scottish art (£)
20,000
53,580
48,885
72,000
194,465


% Scottish art
2.31%
73.20%
36.80%
20.17%
13.62%



  Also tabulated are details of gifts:

  

 
2002
2003
2004
2005
(to end July)
Total


Approximate value of gifts (£)
400,000
580,000
180,000
1,000,000
2,160,000


Number of gifts
77
27
30
30
164


of which Scottish art
32
10
14
13
69

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to screen people over 60 for bowel cancer.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce home testing kits for bowel cancer.

Mr Andy Kerr: I announced recently that a Scottish bowel cancer screening programme for all men and women aged from 50 to 74 will be rolled out from March 2007, with all health boards involved in the programme by 2009. This follows a successful pilot which has been running in Tayside, Grampian and Fife Health Board areas since 2000. As at January 2005 over 330,000 people have been screened for bowel cancer in these three areas.

  All individuals in the screening age range will be invited to complete a test kit at home every two years. Returned kits will be screened at a central laboratory, call/recall and helpline facility, based at Dundee’s Kings Cross. Individuals with a non-negative result will then be invited for follow-up investigation. We expect to reduce mortality rates in the target population by 15%, potentially preventing over 150 lives being lost to bowel cancer per year.

  We have already made available £2 million of capital funding to finance the extension of the Dundee laboratory and the development of a new IT system in order to prepare for national rollout of the programme.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people (a) were diagnosed with and (b) died from bowel cancer in each of the last seven years, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: "Bowel cancer" has been interpreted as referring to cancer of the large bowel which is also known as colorectal cancer.

  Table (a) shows the number of people diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1995 and 2001 by NHS board area. 2001 is the most recent year for which incidence data is complete. Table (b) shows the number of people who died from colorectal cancer between 1998 and 2004 by NHS board area.

  While cancer incidence continues to rise, death rates overall are reducing, as projected in Cancer Scenarios (Scottish Executive 2001, updated 2004). Earlier detection and improved treatments are contributing to these encouraging improvements in survival.

  More comprehensive data on colorectal cancer can be found on the Scottish Health Statistics website at www.isdscotland.org\cancer_information.

  Table (a): Number of People Diagnosed with Colorectal Cancer Between 1995 and 2001 by NHS Board Area of Residence

  

NHS Board Area
Year of Diagnosis


1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001


Argyll and Clyde
295
302
286
277
270
303
318


Ayrshire and Arran
236
286
267
269
265
261
277


Borders
85
110
95
82
87
90
81


Dumfries and Galloway
110
121
114
110
102
109
98


Fife
230
255
221
221
237
275
278


Forth Valley
153
187
169
157
173
167
179


Grampian
333
354
312
388
362
371
415


Greater Glasgow
623
660
577
557
571
552
590


Highland
136
161
175
139
156
171
162


Lanarkshire
271
304
324
306
310
319
287


Lothian
489
474
509
453
510
518
463


Orkney
14
14
9
17
19
14
11


Shetland
20
13
21
13
15
19
17


Tayside
287
330
304
310
340
366
323


Western Isles
16
27
28
30
27
23
24


Scotland
3,298
3,598
3,411
3,329
3,444
3,558
3,524



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, date extracted: August 2005.

  Table (b): Number of People who Died from Colorectal Cancer Between 1998 and 2004 by NHS Board Area of Residence

  

NHS Board Area
Year of Death Registration


1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Argyll and Clyde
145
107
140
131
121
122
131


Ayrshire and Arran
130
136
112
119
116
110
124


Borders
37
54
38
44
45
50
48


Dumfries and Galloway
58
68
55
56
55
56
56


Fife
109
116
102
131
104
94
103


Forth Valley
75
86
78
82
97
106
76


Grampian
171
179
173
154
157
182
177


Greater Glasgow
274
278
275
286
269
257
274


Highland
72
77
70
75
63
74
62


Lanarkshire
135
147
152
134
164
148
149


Lothian
231
218
214
236
191
220
203


Orkney
11
6
4
7
3
6
3


Shetland
12
5
6
9
9
6
12


Tayside
167
165
162
147
145
139
124


Western Isles
12
20
15
4
16
12
8


Scotland
1,639
1,662
1,596
1,615
1,555
1,582
1,550



  Source: General Register Office for Scotland, date extracted: August 2005.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assess the results of the UK Government's initiative to offer home testing kits for the early detection of bowel cancer to people over 60 in England.

Mr Andy Kerr: The UK Colorectal Cancer Screening pilot commenced in April 2000 and included both Scottish and English programmes. Men and women aged from 50 to 69 were invited to complete a home test kit with returned kits being screened at laboratories in England and Scotland. An evaluation report on the UK pilot published in July 2003, (this can be viewed online at http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/finalreport.pdf ) confirmed the potential benefits of bowel cancer screening.

  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were collated by the Scottish and English teams throughout the pilot to monitor its effectiveness. A selection of the KPIs, such as overall uptake of screening, positivity rate and cancer/adenoma detection rates, will be used to assess results on a UK basis during national rollout of bowel cancer screening in Scotland which commences in March 2007.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been screened for bowel cancer in the last five years, broken down by (a) NHS board and (b) age group.

Mr Andy Kerr: Invitations are sent out to all men and women aged 50 to 69 registered with a GP Practice, along with a faecal occult blood test (FOBt) kit, instruction and information leaflets. A reminder letter is sent after four to six weeks if there has been no response to the initial invitation. If an individual has a positive FOBt results they will be referred to their local hospital for assessment and offered further investigations, if appropriate.

  (a): The following table shows numbers of invitations sent out for bowel screening, numbers of people screened and the percentage uptake in rounds 1 and 2 of the bowel screening pilot programme, by NHS board.

  Bowel Screening Pilot (Round 1 and 2): Invitations and Uptake, by NHS Board

  


Health Board
Total


Fife
Grampian
Tayside


Number of people invited in Round 1(April 2000 – September 2002)
83,591
122,784
97,870
304,245


Number of people completing FOBt1 screening in Round 1
44,435
69,012
53,968
167,415


Percentage uptake of FOBt1 screening in Round 1
53.2%
56.2%
55.1%
55.0%


Number of people invited in Round 22(December 2002 – January 2005)
85,350
125,946
98,487
309,783


Number of people completing FOBt1 screening in Round 2
43,024
68,348
52,687
164,059


Percentage uptake of FOBt1 screening in Round 2
50.4%
54.3%
53.5%
53.0%



  Source: Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, ISD. Round 1 data extracted: Feb 2005, Round 2 data extracted: July 2005

  Notes:

  1: Faecal occult blood test.

  2: Data for Round 2 of the bowel cancer screening pilot are currently considered provisional.

  3: Data only include people invited to screen as part of the bowel cancer screening pilot and do not include those who may have attended a private screening.

  (b): The following table shows numbers of invitations sent out for bowel screening, numbers of people screened and the percentage uptake in rounds 1 and 2 of the bowel screening pilot programme, by age group.

  Bowel Screening Pilot (Round 1 and 2): Invitations and Uptake, by Age Group

  

 
Age Group (Years)
Total


<502
50-54
55-59
60-64
65-69
>692


Number of people invited in Round 1 (April 2000 – September 2002)
8,243
91,995
74,138
64,844
58,972
6,053
304,245


Number of people completing FOBt1 screening in Round 1
3,788
47,655
40,835
37,515
34,442
3,180
167,415


Percentage uptake of FOBt1 screening in Round 1
46.0%
51.8%
55.1%
57.9%
58.4%
52.5%
55.0%


Number of people invited in Round 23 (December 2002 – January 2005)
5,604
85,337
84,895
66,628
59,383
7,936
309,783


Number of people completing FOBt1 screening in Round 2
2,496
40,126
44,659
37,451
34,854
4,473
164,059


Percentage uptake of FOBt1 screening in Round 2
44.5%
47.0%
52.6%
56.2%
58.7%
56.4%
53.0%



  Source: Scottish Bowel Screening Programme, ISD. Round 1 data extracted: Feb 2005, Round 2 data extracted: July 2005

  1: Faecal occult blood test.

  2: Individuals <50 and >69 years may be invited to participate as the IT system calls individuals in years of birth and not by birth date.

  3: Data for Round 2 of the bowel cancer screening pilot are currently considered provisional.

  4: Data only include people invited to screen as part of the bowel cancer screening pilot and do not include those who may have attended a private screening.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the main outcomes of the Cancer Challenge pilot screening programme were.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Department of Health commissioned a team from Edinburgh, Warwick and Essex Universities to formally evaluate the Cancer Challenge screening pilot which ran in England and Scotland from April 2000 to December 2002. The target UK population was approximately 300,000 over the screening period.

  The following key outcomes are collated from the formal evaluation report submitted to the Department of Health in 2003 and also further statistical analysis of the complete dataset by NHS Information Services Division. http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/finalreport.pdf.

  Screening for bowel cancer with faecal occult blood test (FOBt) kits in the general population is feasible and should be rolled out to a national programme.

  Overall uptake of screening in Scotland was 50.4% for males, 59.5% for females and 55% overall.

  Greater number of early stage cancers detected in the population being screened compared to the population that have not been screened (Dukes A: screened population 22.5%, non-screened population 12.6%).

  Uptake rates influenced by deprivation (Both sexes: least deprived 62.1% compared to most deprived 41.2% by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation).

  UK pilot had a considerable impact on workload in secondary care including increased demand for non-screening colonoscopy services and a substantial impact on pathology services.

  The impact on primary care was modest.

  Systematic review indicates that FOBt screening costs approximately £2,000 per Quality Adjusted Life Year and appears relatively cost effective – at this level FOBt screening is well within arbitrary "efficiency" thresholds and commensurate with other population based cancer screening programmes.

Education

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it is offering school children who wish to pursue a career as a writer.

Peter Peacock: The National Curriculum Guidelines 5-14 seek to ensure that the curriculum secures breadth, balance, continuity and progression for all pupils. Responsibility for setting policy and legislation for education in Scotland rests with the Scottish Executive Education Department (SEED). The means of delivery is not prescribed in legislation but rather it is the responsibility of local authorities and schools to determine how to implement legislative requirements to meet local needs and circumstances.

  However, SEED is fully committed to raising levels of attainment in literacy in Scottish schools. SEED has funded many initiatives including Building Bridges in Literacy P6-S2 under which local authorities have developed 36 projects focusing on literacy including writing skills. SEED also provides funding to local authorities to provide staff development in the teaching of writing.

  Inspection evidence demonstrates that writing is valued in Scottish schools. Many education authorities have prioritised the raising of pupils' attainment in writing and have produced structured courses, for example the North Lanarkshire Writing Pack, the South Lanarkshire Writing Pack and New Horizons in Writing from Glasgow City Council. Some of these approaches have been adopted by other education authorities and are well supported by CPD for teachers.

  Scotland’s system of National Qualifications also ensures that there are challenging but achievable qualifications in English for candidates of all abilities, from Access 2 to Advanced Higher Level. At all levels these courses develop and extend writing skills, and there are specific creative writing options available in Standard Grade, Intermediate, Higher and Advanced Higher courses.

Education

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of schools have been integrated community schools in each of the last three years.

Peter Peacock: According to reports from local authorities, the percentage of schools that have adopted the integrated community schooling approach in the last three years is as follows:

  

Year
2002-03
2003-04
2004-05


% Integrated Community Schools
42%
64%
98%

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of primary 7 pupils achieved Level D or above in (a) mathematics, (b) English reading and (c) English writing in each year since 1990.

Peter Peacock: This information is only available from 1998-99 and is contained in the Scottish Executive’s annual Statistics Publication Notice 5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded School . Copies can be obtained from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre using Bib. numbers supplied.

  

Title
Bib. number


5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools 2003-04 (by June 2004)
34652


5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools 2002-03 (by June 2003)
30289


5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools 200102 (by June 2002)
25569


5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools 2000-01 (by June 2001)
18788


5-14 Attainment in Publicly Funded Schools 1998-99 (by June 1999) and 1999-2000 (by June 2000)
25343

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils gained (a) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 3, (b) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 4 and (c) 5+ awards at SCQF Level 5 in each year since 1990.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils had, by the end of S5, gained (a) five or more awards at SCQF Level 6 and (b) one or more award at SCQF Level 7 in each year since 1990.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of S4 pupils had, by the end of S6, gained (a) five or more awards at SCQF Level 6 and (b) one or more award at SCQF Level 7 in each year since 1990.

Peter Peacock: Information on qualifications gained by S4 pupils levels is contained in Scottish Executive Statistics Publication Notices on attainment and school leaver qualifications. Copies can be obtained from the Parliament’s Information Centre using the Bib. numbers supplied.

  

Title
Bib. number


SQA Attainment and School Leaver Qualifications in Scotland: 2003-04
36264


SQA Attainment and School Leaver Qualifications in Scotland: 2002-03
32214


School Attainment and Qualifications of School Leavers in Scotland: 2001-02
26642


SQA Attainment in Scottish Schools: 2000/01
20010


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1999-2001
17908


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1997-99
7541


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1996-98
24984


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1995-97
24983


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1994-96
24982


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1993-95
24981


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1992-94
24980


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1991-93
37250


Examination Results in Scottish Schools 1990-92
37251

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what gross revenue expenditure in schools was in each year from 1990 to 1998.

Peter Peacock: The gross revenue expenditure on school education by local authorities in each year from 1990-91 to 1998-99 is shown in the following table .

  Table 1: Gross Revenue Expenditure, 1990-91 to 1998-99

  

Year
Gross Revenue Expenditure(£000)


1990-91
£1,645,484


1991-92
£1,770,372


1992-93
£1,893,220


1993-94
£1,928,687


1994-95
£1,965,266


1995-96
£2,036,155


1996-97
£2,062,340


1997-98
£2,091,792


1998-99
£2,216,881



  Source: Scottish Local Government Financial Statistics publications 1990-91 to 1992-93, LFR1 return 1993-94 to 1998-99.

Education

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the gross revenue expenditure per (a) primary school pupil and (b) secondary school pupil was in schools in each year from 1990 to 1998.

Peter Peacock: The gross revenue expenditure by local authorities per primary and secondary pupil for the years 1993-94 to 1998-99 are shown in Table 1. Data on the gross revenue expenditure in each sector were not collected prior to 1993-94 and therefore per pupil figures for primary and secondary education are not available for 1990-91, 1991-92 and 1992-93.

  Table 1: Gross revenue expenditure per pupil, 1993-94 to 1998-99

  

 
1993-94
1994-95
1995-96
1996-97
1997-98
1998-99


Primary
£1,842
£1,855
£1,918
£1,928
£1,957
£2,065


Secondary
£2,944
£2,950
£3,033
£3,035
£3,044
£3,216



  Source: LFR1 return 1993-94 to 1998-99.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the provision of chronic pain services will be improved following the recommendations of Professor McEwen’s report, Chronic Pain Services in Scotland .

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to implement a national strategy for chronic pain services.

Mr Andy Kerr: Our policy for the treatment of all long-term conditions will be shaped by the Kerr Report, which recommends that effective long-term condition management should be based on a generic approach geared to the management of the totality of a person’s needs, in the community and without hospitalisation wherever possible. Within this context we will encourage NHS boards to work towards improving services for chronic pain.

  I have written to the Health Committee, dated 30 August, regarding the Executive’s response to Professor McEwen’s report. A copy of this letter has been sent to the member.

Justice

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the event of the Home Secretary or any other person outwith Scotland calling for the expulsion of a resident or visitor to Scotland judged to have incited racial hatred, glorified terrorism or encouraged others to commit acts of racial violence, the Lord Advocate would be required to prosecute the case against the accused person or whether he would have discretion not to do so.

Colin Boyd QC: In all circumstances where a crime is alleged to have taken place within Scottish jurisdiction, decisions about prosecution will be taken, independently by the Lord Advocate or by prosecutors acting on his behalf and authority. This independence is enshrined in the Scotland Act and no person can require the Lord Advocate to prosecute, nor fetter his discretion as to whether the public interest is best met by prosecution.

Legal Aid

Margaret Jamieson (Kilmarnock and Loudoun) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost has been of legal aid to support claims made by prisoners as a result of slopping out.

Hugh Henry: It is not possible to give the precise cost of legal aid for "slopping out" cases. These are not recorded as a distinct category of civil legal aid cases.

  Some expenditure will also have been incurred on civil advice and assistance cases relating to "slopping out", but it is impossible to identify these separately.

  The Scottish Legal Aid Board estimates that as at 31 March 2005 it had paid out £1.17 million on civil legal aid for slopping out cases. It has so far recovered £1.023 million of this expenditure, leaving a net cost of civil legal aid of around £147,000. These figures include the Napier case whose costs were met by the defender.

National Health Service

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that an exercise needs to be undertaken to determine which data currently residing on NHS Argyll and Clyde’s IT systems are to be held by NHS Greater Glasgow and which by NHS Highland; whether such an exercise will be undertaken and, if so, when it will be initiated, how long will last and how much it will cost.

Mr Andy Kerr: This will be a matter for the newly configured health boards to consider. In general, hospital systems or departmental systems such as laboratory or radiology systems only hold data for patients treated within these settings. Where it is necessary to share information between hospitals, or between hospitals and primary care, a common infrastructure exists which allows data to be shared using the Community Health Index number. NHS boards may wish to consider whether the geographic coverage of current patient information repositories and indexes need to be changed to reflect any changes in patient care patterns. Current NHS IT infrastructure would enable such changes if required and reduce the length and cost of such an exercise which would need to be assessed locally in the light of local circumstances.

National Health Service

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of transferring data from NHS Argyll and Clyde to NHS Greater Glasgow.

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of transferring data from NHS Argyll and Clyde to NHS Highland.

Mr Andy Kerr: This will be a matter for the newly configured NHS board to consider. Current NHS IT infrastructure would enable such changes if required and reduce the length and cost of such an exercise, the need for which would need to be assessed locally in the light of local circumstances.

Racism

Mr Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reopen the security fund for places of worship, closed in 2002, in light of recent reports of places of worship being attacked and a greater number of people being racially abused and physically assaulted.

Hugh Henry: Nearly 60 separate awards with a total value of £1 million were made across Scotland in response to police concerns about security arrangements at places of worship following 11 September 2001. Those security improvements remain in place. Police forces across Scotland continue to concentrate considerable effort and resources, liaising with communities, to allay concerns and to identify intelligence to ensure a proactive response to these issues. All reported racist incidents are treated appropriately by the police regardless of the type or location.

Rail Network

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on discussions with the Office of the Rail Regulator to ensure that disaggregated costs for Scotland can be identified by Network Rail.

Tavish Scott: The Office of Rail Regulation is currently consulting on methodology for disaggregating Network Rail’s existing network-wide expenditure and revenue allowances to Scotland which will allow Network Rail to identify and report information separately for Scotland.

Rail Safety

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of the current ScotRail franchise agreement on staffing levels for stations, including any required under the Fire Precautions (Sub-Surface Railway Stations) Regulations 1989, have been met.

Tavish Scott: The ScotRail franchise agreement does not specify staffing levels for stations, though there are other requirements on staffing issues. Staffing requirements at stations form part of the franchisee’s Railway Safety Case which is approved and monitored by Her Majesty’s Rail Inspectorate, part of the Health and Safety Executive.

  Regulation 10(4) of the Fire Precautions (Sub-Surface Railway Stations) Regulations 1989 (as amended) requires rostering of station employees to ensure that there are at least two persons present on duty in the station premises at all times when members of the public have access to the premises. Enforcement of the regulations rests with fire and rescue authorities or joint fire and rescue boards. Information about compliance with the regulations is not held centrally.

Smoking

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to evaluate the impact of the ban on smoking in public places, particularly in respect of the turnover of pubs and nightclubs.

Mr Andy Kerr: We will be undertaking a comprehensive programme of monitoring and evaluation of the health, economic and cultural impact of the smoke-free legislation. As part of that programme we will make use of existing datasets which provide detailed information on the employment and turnover of enterprises in the hospitality sector. For example, the labour force survey will give us quarterly updates on employment trends. The annual interdepartmental business register will allow analysis of trends in the number of enterprises and the churn rate of businesses by sector. The annual business survey will allow analysis of profitability. Data will be available on both a quarterly and annual basis and this will allow for analysis of pre-legislation and post-legislation trends in the performance of firms in this sector.